VATICAN CITY
Minnesota Public Radio
July 6, 2013
By FRANCES D’EMILIO, Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis called for structural renewal in the Catholic church to keep up with the times, although advising future priests and nuns Saturday to shun costly trappings like the latest smartphones so they can use more resources to help the poor.
Francis has been waging a campaign to root out corruption and power plays in the Vatican’s bureaucracy and to keep sight of what is essential in the church he was elected in March to lead.
The Argentine-born pontiff offered the encouragement for renewal in a homily during Mass Saturday at the Vatican City hotel where he lives. Francis told Catholics “not to be afraid of renewing some structures” to accord with “the places, the times” and the people, but he didn’t specify what needed to be changed.
He said, “In Christian life, even in the life of the church, there are ancient structures, transient structures: It is necessary to renew them!”
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